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The Coopers Arms, Rochester
Rochester
ME1 1TL
Reviews (Current Rating Average: 8 of 10) see review guidelines
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Ian Mapp left this review about The Coopers Arms
Dating from 1189 - according to WhatPub.
An attractive, low ceiling pub full of dickens knick knacks.
Quite a choice of real ales - look to the board on the right of the central bar - as the pumps in eye-sight do not do full justice to the range.
Youngs special in decent nick.
On 15th May 2022
- rating: 7
[User has posted 1337 recommendations about 1323 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Graham Coombs left this review about The Coopers Arms
A very attractive weather boarded pub up the road between the castle and cathedral. Inside is a splendidly aged interior, with lots of old woodwork and a couple of stone fireplaces, and a further room behind the bar with tables. A very convivial place for a few beers and my only slight gripe was that the chairs were all plain wood, with nothing comfy to collapse into! The good range of beers included three local brews plus Youngs Special, Wainwright, Courage Best and Olivers Island. Note that children are only allowed in the garden to the rear and not in the main pub. Undoubtedly the best pub in the High Street area.
On 16th August 2018
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3339 recommendations about 3276 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Alan Winfield left this review about The Coopers Arms
The Coopers Arms is a nice looking pub that is a short walk uphill from the high street.
Once inside the pub has two separate rooms,the front room is oblong shaped with the bar facing,the room is carpeted and has a beamed ceiling giving it a cosy feel,the seating is pew type around the edge of the room,the room to the rear has normal tables and chairs for seating.
There was a decent choice of real ales on the bar,i had a drink of Tonbridge Coopers Ale which went down very well,the other beers i noted were York Guzzler,Youngs Special,Youngs London Gold,Pedigree,Taylor Landlord and Courage Best.
Quiet background music was playing,food was being served but no tables are laid which is a good thing.
This is the sort of pub i could settle in for a good session.
Pub visited 6/6/2015
On 6th June 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 6113 recommendations about 6113 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Just a quick pint, then I'm off left this review about The Coopers Arms
Very attractive old inn with a friendly welcome and village pub atmosphere. Retains two bars, the larger one at the front with just the sort of traditional furniture and decor that you would expect, and the one to the rear having slightly less character but seemingly more popular with the regulars. Regular live music advertised. A total of seven handpumps on the two counters, with the regular Courage Best and Youngs Special supplemented by Youngs Winter Warmer, Fuller's Chiswick, Theakston Best, Box Tunnel Vision and Belhaven Robert Burns brown ale (£3.50) as guest beers. Well worth seeking out.
On 24th January 2015
- rating: 8
[User has posted 8086 recommendations about 8086 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Steve C left this review about The Coopers Arms
The Cooper’s Arms was packed during my recent visit which surprised me as it was a Monday evening and there were no special events in progress. This is obviously great for the management, but I didn’t get to have much of a nose around this historic pub. There are two bars and I had to buy my pint in the rear bar as I couldn’t get to the front bar. I then had to move back to the front bar as there wasn’t even any standing room at the rear. I counted four hand pumps in the rear and three in the front which were all drawing different ales. I went for a pint of Betty Stogs which went down a treat, but the young barmaid was very off and had left her manners at home.
As would be expected the ceiling is low with thick wooden beams and there is plenty of old tat on the walls including tankards, old photos of the pub and a lot of local history. There was some very low background music from a radio station which I thought pointless as there was more than enough atmosphere to warrant turning it off. Live music is advertised for every Sunday.
If I find myself in the area again I will make a point of revisiting, if only to find out why there is a scary looking man in a glass fronted cupboard in the front bar.
On 6th March 2013
- rating: 8
[User has posted 5233 recommendations about 5201 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Pub SignMan left this review about The Coopers Arms
This is a very attractive and charming old inn, tucked away behind Rochester Cathedral and Castle. The front entrance takes you into the King's Bar which is dominated by an abundance of dark beams and exposed masonry. There are fireplaces at either end of the room, including a huge one to the right with a large wood burner in it, whilst the smaller one to the left, next to the bar counter, was surrounded by various brass items. The room is furnished with bench seating and some regular tables and chairs and I spotted a wonderful old carved bench with a lift top seat in one corner that looked far too nice to sit on.
A passageway leads through to the second bar which appears to be the 'newer' part of the pub, given the more prosaic features. There's quite a bit more seating in here and the room seems to be popular with the locals, who probably prefer to keep a distance between themselves and the tourists who fill up the front bar.
There are three hand pumps on each bar, but they are not double clipped so you need to walk round to view the full selection, which comprised of Theakston Double Cross IPA, Old Mill Liquid Gold, Young's Special, Milestone Tuck’s Tipple, Sharps Own and Courage Best. The Double Cross IPA was in good shape and the barmaid who served me was very friendly. A specials board was taken down at 4pm, suggesting that food may only be available at lunchtimes.
I enjoyed settling down in the front room and taking in all that this place has to offer. Its combination of good beer, friendly staff and historic building make it an essential port of call for anyone visiting Rochester.
On 14th December 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 3114 recommendations about 3114 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
E TA left this review about The Coopers Arms
An historic inn, on a site first mentioned in the Domesday Book, althought the present structure is considerably younger. In addition to the integral there is a very well kept garden with its own "garage bar". Recent renovations have uncovered fireplaces and various other nooks and crannies. The pub is reputably haunted, and I seem to remember from many years ago that there was a mummified monk found preserved in the walls, presumably the basis for stories about the pub's being haunted by a monk's ghost. It was a Style and Wynch house at one point but has been a free house for a while. Very good, reasonably priced food is on sale, and the beer range is, and has been for at least 30 years, of repute. Much of the reputation gained in the last 3 decades was as a result of Mick Hammel's efforts, but sadly the current owners have removed much of his presence. Six ales on this time, I had a pint of Theakstone's Hogshead which was in perfect condition. This is Rochester's best pub in many respects, and an essential one for visiting sale lovers. A GBG regular, it is a great place to spend an evening's libation, a lunch time snack or just an afternoon hiding from the wife.
On 11th November 2011
- rating: 9
[User has posted 3281 recommendations about 3246 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Roger Button left this review about The Coopers Arms
This quaint free house can be found a couple of minutes stroll past the castle away from the town. The building originally dates from 1199 but was altered in 1542 and 1682. There is a full history on the wall inside as well as a list of all the innkeepers dating back to 1542 when it first opened as a pub.
The front bar (labeled as the Kings Bar) is full of beamed ceilings, exposed brickwork and a couple of impressive fireplaces. Brasses and pewter tankards dangle from the beams and bar canopy respectively and there is a general cosy feel to the place.
The rear bar appears to be a more modern addition and is a lot plainer although the stone fireplace appears quite ancient and acts as the focal point. This bar seems to be the more popular area for the locals (the tourists tend to stick to the front bar) and contains a TV and piano. There is also a decent enough beer garden at the rear.
The beer choice is one of the better ones in town although you need to check both bars as they tend to do 3 different ales in each bar. I didn’t notice any cross referencing and the ale list on the gate outside the pub didn’t match what I found inside so I presume it is only sporadically updated. For the record, the 6 on my recent visit were Youngs Special, Courage Best, Fullers Summer Ale, Caledonian Nectar, Nelson Admirals IPA and Sharps Honey Gold. Quality was fine and prices more reasonable than some of the High street pubs. There is a food menu listed on a blackboard although I didn’t make any specific notes on what was on offer.
If you like pubs with character, history and good ales in a relaxed and hassle free environmet, the Coopers will tick quite a few boxes and is certainly worth the few minutes detour away from the High Street if visiting town.
On 18th July 2011
- rating: 8
[User has posted 1239 recommendations about 1233 pubs]
Please Note: This review is over a year old.
Danny O'Revey left this review about The Coopers Arms
A wonderful small but beautifully formed ancient inn. 2 rooms, lots of old bare brick, black beams, low ceiling, curios, old tables and fire places, you get the drift of this one. Views of the cathedral from the windows. Its a beautiful pub to sit and enjoy the real ale & wind away the hours and there is local beer from Nelson's in Chatham.
I would definately recommend this one.
On 18th May 2010
- rating: 9
[User has posted 1456 recommendations about 1434 pubs]